Just Ask: When is work on the South End Bridge going to be finished?

File photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanProtective tarps are seen on the South End Bridge in September 2010 over the Connecticut River as crews repainted the structure. Now, another repair and repainting project is going on, expected to continue into next year.

Question: The construction on the overpasses on either side of the South End Bridge has led to traffic nightmares this summer. When leaving Route 57 and heading over the bridge towards Springfield, why does the right lane of the bridge have to been blocked?

It seems to me that a sign posted stating “Right lane for 91 south only” would relieve the backup on Route 57. There is a similar sign posted on the opposite side (northbound) that restricts the right lane for exit onto Route 57.

When is this work scheduled to be completed?

– Concerned citizen

Answer: The southbound right lane of the Julia B. Buxton Bridge, as the South End bridge is formally named, was closed as part of the traffic management plan so that traffic entering the work zone is in a single file, Richard Nangle, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said.

For some months, there was “a truck restriction on the bridge over I-91 project due to the narrowing of the bridge for construction,” he said. This was to eliminate the potential of a truck sideswiping another vehicle as it tries to avoid the narrow bridge at the last minute.”

In an article published last month, Michael Verseckes, another spokesman for the department said there was “an unexpected mishap” with the fabrication of an expansion joint, which allow bridges to be slightly flexible during periods of extreme heat and cold. Verseckes said a new expansion had to be custom made, and, in fact, it was just delivered this week. He said the problem occurred on the ramp on the Agawam side, not the bridge itself.

As of Oct. 17, workers were back at the bridge, removing lead paint from steel beams to prepare them for new paint, he said. The new expansion joint will be installed following an initial coat of paint and repairs to steel beams, he added.

In June, Vereckes said work involving the Springfield side of the bridge should be done by next summer, and the Agawam side this fall. It was not immediately clear how the expansion joint problem would affect this timeline.

Work on the Springfield side is expected to continue during the winter, weather permitting, he added this week.